Happy Anniversary

So what did the jet-setting Jerusalemites do for our ten year anniversary? Really exciting stuff:

we went to the city center, got some falafel, bought a second-hand matzah plate...

 and a play mat for Emmylou so she can roll around and nap in the living room...

picked up some fancy dessert at my favorite cafe, Kadosh...

and headed home. I made Chipotle-style burritos for dinner and after we put the girls to bed we enjoyed our dessert by candlelight and talked till midnight about our future. We lived through the past ten years together so we didn't feel the need to re-cap that. The night we spent a lot of time looking ahead. Not knowing what the Father has in store for us excites us and gives us hope (as I write this I'm reminded of Jeremiah 29:11, which was Cassidy's memory verse last week. It really is true -- He does have plans to give us hope and a future, no matter what life looks like).

We also looked through our wedding photos, which was a blast. Everyone looks so young (ten years, as a matter of fact) and thin and happy. And in about every fourth photo Tom is making me laugh. For example:

I like to think he learned the "Pez Head" laugh from me... 

Closed eyes, that must have been a REALLY funny one... 

Oh wait, this is when I forgot my vows, because I thought 

it was a good idea to memorize them... 

 He brings out my inner dork...

You can tell by his expression that he thinks he's funny, too... 

 This is a classic example of Tom's style of humor: awkward. 

The more people that are uncomfortable the better...

Notice his grip on my arm and the way he's holding both of my hands. 

Why is that funny? I don't know, but I'm laughing pretty hard.

I like to think we had a classy wedding, but really we're not known for being classy. More like dorky, and happy, and food-oriented. These photos pretty much sum that up. And for the record, I still laugh like this at Tom on a daily basis. While his commitment to Jesus was the biggest thing that drew me to him, his ability to entertain me was, and is, a close second.

One foot in eternity

I spent this week looking through old photos of Wyatt and found this one. What a shock to my system it was. This is my beautiful sister Rachel holding Wyatt in December of 2005. In the background is my mother (in the white shirt), my Aunt Ann (in the green) and my brother-in-law James. Three of the five people in this photograph are no longer on this earth. But what I've learned from their lives and their deaths is this: walking in covenant with the Creator is not easy, or understandable, but it's worth it. 
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost 
Than never to have loved at all.
-Tennyson, In Memoriam A.H.H.

3

Emmylou is just about 3 months old now, and it's been three years, today, that Wyatt has been gone. This is the first anniversary related to the boys that we've had more life in our house, and it's a wonderful gift. Somehow Emmylou's existence keeps Wyatt and Zeke's lives at the forefront -- I think a lot about how they would respond to her, love her, care for her, make her laugh. Cassidy has promised to tell Emmylou all about them and I like to think that deep in her spirit she already knows about her brothers.

A lot can be said about the similarities and differences between the kids. But seeing these photos side by side makes me think how blessed we are to have beautiful children and how bittersweet it is that Zeke cannot be included in these.

On a side note, when I turned on the IHOP webstream yesterday (which is sometimes harder than today, since it was our last day with him) Laura Hackett was singing, "Beautiful Mercy".

There is no pit too deep, that Jesus cannot reach

There is no sorrow so strong that will overtake his beloved one...

Amen and thank you Jesus.

Little Mama and Fluff

There are so many things I love about this photo:

Cass is thrilled to be holding Emmylou in a grown-up way; Emmylou's fluff is catching the light beautifully; there's no hiding all of Emmylou's chub; the blanket on the couch was Cassidy's when she was little(r); it's sunny outside!

Needless to say, I love my girls. (I said it anyway.)

Long, beautiful hair

This really is Emmylou's hair. No alterations have been done to exaggerate her style. We call it her fluff. It keeps getting longer and taller on top and the more she sleeps (and she is sleeping!) the more she rubs off on the back. Wyatt would be so proud; she's combining his mullet as a baby with his mohawk as a boy, at the same time! I don't know what I love more, her chub or her fluff.

She has several stork bites, including the one on the back of her head.

1

A quick post to celebrate the first month of Emmylou's life. There are many things that can be said about having her around, so I'll try to be brief. For me, it's like being a first time mom again. It's been three and a half years since Zeke left and in this stage of my life that's a long time for me to be without a baby. Her presence brings so much joy to me: I love holding her and kissing her chubby cheeks; I enjoy picking out new outfits and changing her diaper; I laugh at her silly grunts, squeals, shouts and coos; I especially adore the way Cassidy takes care of her and loves on her.

In the last month we've rejoiced and grieved and trusted in His faithfulness, celebrating Pesach (Passover) on Emmylou's 1 month birthday. I really do feel him turning my mourning into dancing, and I'll be honest, I didn't know if that was possible.

My girls

This was such a sweet moment today. While I tried to make my own lunch (after feeding the other three mouths in our home) Emmylou started to fuss. First Cassidy asked if I would bring Emmylou, in her bouncer, over to where she was sitting at the table so she could take care of her, "So you can make your lunch". When Emmylou continued to fuss Cassidy went and got an extra blanket to put on her, "I think she was cold" she told me. That didn't do the trick so then Cass, finished with her food, asked if she could hold her little sister. As we walked over to the couch she jumped up and down, saying, "I'm so excited to hold her! I love holding her!" They sat on the couch, happy to be with each other, but not long enough for me to eat. Oh well, it was worth all the fuss and delayed meal to see Cassidy's joy and Emmylou's smile, small as it was. And aren't they the quintessential girls in their matching pink and purple!

She's officially born

This week we ventured out to Misrad Hapnim, the Department of the Interior, to get Emmylou's birth certificate. It was her first time in the Boba carrier and she loved it. Tom didn't mind it either, joking a lot about the 'hands free' aspect of it (a play on Boba's slogan, "Freedom Together"). Wearing her is about as close as he'll ever get to feeling pregnant. (I told him to add about 10 more pounds and imagine all the weight pressing on his bladder.)

It was an easy process to get the birth certificate, although the paperwork is very different from American birth certificates. Just her name, birth date, my name and our address, basically. In Hebrew and English. It feels good to have it since the paperwork we got from the midwife and pediatrician is handwritten on a paper they tore off of their notepads.

When we finished at Misrad Hapnim we went next door to the convenience store and had Emmylou's passport photo taken. Pretty hilarious to have an official photo of a two week old, but she opened her eyes, which was all that was necessary.

Now off to the consulate or the embassy to get her passport and visa. Pray it goes smoothly!

Marriage

We have some Jerusalem friends who just returned to the States for their daughter's wedding so I've been praying for their travels and their time with family. As I'm praying the overwhelming sense is this: we need G-d to be in our marriages.

Tom is incredible. From the very beginning he has been more than I dreamed I would end up with (minus the ability to grow a beard). Our first year was one of learning and we emerged as better communicators (well, I did, he was my teacher) and realized that though marriage is fun, it's a lot of work. I used to tell people that marriage is like a perpetual slumber party with your best friend. And while that's true, sometimes there are pillow fights, or you can't agree on what movie to watch, or he hogs all the popcorn.

Enter Yeshua. Because even best friends mess up. Or worse... But the point is, even though you want to believe you can always count on your spouse, you can't. And then you count on the One who brought you together. And trust Him, because all His ways are good, even when you're hurt.

I need this reminder, because frankly, my husband is INCREDIBLE. Right now he's heading back from taking Cassidy to school, in the rain, on public transportation. After staying out really late helping friends paint their baby room. He spent the last 4 months busting his cute buns to learn not just one new language, but two, meanwhile pouring into me and Cass, and a handful of other people seeking love, relationship and wisdom. But all of this is possible because He maintains a healthy, open relationship with the Giver of Life. And I'm convinced that's why this marriage of hard knocks and long distances works. 'Cause sometimes I don't follow through on my end of the deal, and he gives me grace for that.

Thank the L-rd for your marriage today (or keep praying for your future spouse!;) I am) and then thank Yeshua for Himself.

The B-I-B-L-E

At King of Kings, the English speaking congregation we attend, there is an amazing couple in charge of the children's ministry. They've named the Sunday night program Kids Zone and it's been a huge blessing. The topics for each night are built around the holidays and other important basics of life. The kids get educated a bit about what is going on in Israel and what the Bible says about these festivals. Tom and I volunteer once a month so we get to see firsthand how much the kids enjoy the program and how much energy Daniel and Jalene put into every service. They are a fantastic couple who greet the kids by name, do skits, lead worship and teaching times as well as put together great activities and snacks. To say that Cassidy looks forward to Kids Zone is an understatement.

One of the focuses of Kids Zone is Bible memorization. The verses come straight from the weekly lesson and they put the Word of G-d into the hearts of kids. Cassidy and I try to spend time talking about the verses and memorizing them. It doesn't happen every week, and lately she's been sick so we've missed a few nights, but her effort has been rewarded: she memorized the most verses out of the 3-5 year old class for this season! Since she was sick last weekend we stayed home, but Tom went to service and Jalene sent home a bag of goodies to celebrate Cassidy's achievement. She was very excited about each item, and since Jalene didn't get to see her open it (she sent it with Tom to cheer Cass up) I wanted to post her reaction here.

My favorite part of this video is how she thanks them for her presents. It's like she's accepting her Grammy or Oscar or something but she truly means it.

We're so thankful to Daniel and Jalene for the work they put into every week and pray they are blessed and encouraged for their effort. They're just two of the people in our lives that impact Cassidy in a powerful way. All of your prayers for her directly effect her; people often comment on how great she is -- she's polite, sweet, thoughtful, encouraging and adorable. Whenever someone says something about her I tell them it's because there are so many people around the world praying for her. Tom and I work very hard to model thankfulness and kindess but it takes the power of the Holy Spirit and the prayers of friends and family to create such a unique and wonderful little girl! Thank you all for investing in us!

The Real Deal

When we went  into the Old City on Christmas Eve I got an olive wood nativity set from Zach, an Arab believer who reaches out to Muslims all over Israel. He just happens to work with Tikkun International, just like us, which means we want to support his store and his ministry even more.

I was giddy all day as we walked around with this nativity set. It is gorgeous and simple and reminds me of the many hours I spent playing with the white figurines in my mom's nativity. I always thought they were so delicate and special and I loved moving the angel, wise men and animals around in celebration of Jesus. 

 The whole set is carved out of the same piece of wood so it has a similar color and grain. The wood has to cure for two years before the artists in Bethlehem can begin to care it. We got the log "house" separately and I really love how it houses the family.

 Jesus sleeps in a heart-shaped bed. Awww...

 Look at the fancy wise men, each with their special gifts.

I got a cow, some sheep and a donkey with the set, but Tom really wants a camel. Perhaps we'll go back and get one, and also an angel.

As soon as we got home I put it out on the coffee table and Cassidy started playing with it. I have to remind myself that this wooden set is more durable than my mother's waxy characters, so if Cass drops one every now and again it will be all right. This is what creates memories. I feel so blessed! 

It's the little things

I'm pretty exhausted, so this will be brief. We spent yesterday in the Old City with our friends Rod and Lois. While we were there we bought a beautiful nativity set (you better believe I'll post photos of this gorgeous set) and ate bagel sandwiches and ice cream. It was a very enjoyable and non-traditional Christmas Eve for us.

Today we woke up and celebrated Yeshua's birthday with a delicious breakfast, fun presents for Cassidy and several FaceTime chats with family. We also analyzed the story of Yeshua's birth, trying to figure out what is tradition and what is truth. We had a wonderful day together, just the three of us, and are so very grateful to have a time set apart every year for extreme amounts of joy and thankfulness for the gift of Messiah.

I want to share some of the "extreme amounts of joy" I mentioned. Just about every gift was greeted with squeals and smiles, but here is one that I think you'll really enjoy. I got her several sets of jewelry but this is the first one she opened. They cost two and half shekels; that's not even 75 cents. It doesn't take much to make this girl happy.

Merry Christmas friends. I hope your hearts are filled and your smiles are big because we all have a great reason to be joyful: JESUS!

Christmas Time's A-Coming

We are continuing to celebrate the Light of the World in Jerusalem: Yeshua's birthday is only a few days away! Right after Thanksgiving most people in the States put up their Christmas decorations, and I have to admit, it was hard looking at facebook and seeing everyone with their lights and trees and coziness. When we packed for Israel we did not pack Christmas decorations and last month I began to rack my brain on what Cassidy and I could do to make our home reminiscent of my childhood Christmases.

Well, it is Jerusalem, and I'm pretty cheap when it comes to decorations, so I got online and searched out home-made Christmas decor (much like I did for Hanukkah). I also kept my eyes open as we walked around town. My heart leaped a few weeks ago when Cassidy pointed out huge pine cones on the side of the road. Pine cones! In the past I used to get a big bag of pine cones and greenery from Tom's folks so this felt like a wonderful gift from the Father.

Madebyjoel.com posted a paper nativity to color and cut out and things began to come together.

There weren't any shepherds to color, so Cass created her own.



We decorated empty salsa jars (a gift in itself) to make votives and cut out paper snowflakes. These aer such simple things, but they've helped us anticipate His birthday so much more. If you or your child love to craft I highly recommend these activities, or any others. Cassidy's excitement about each of these crafts was beyond measure and I loved seeing her joy and participating with her.

My one dilemma was where to put the presents. In the past we've enjoyed the tree. It's very nostalgic for me; my family always went out and cut down a tree and I loved every aspect of a live tree (I didn't have to pick up the needles or water it). When all the kids moved out my parents wanted to go with a fake tree creating quite a stir amongst us children. We finally conceded, and my mom decorates it beautifully, although it lacks that Christmasy smell. Tom liked the tree because it gave him somewhere to put his fancy LGB train. Watching him teach the kids how to control the speed and seeing the excitement on Wyatt's face is a great memory. But even if we had packed Christmas decorations, the train would not have made it into the suitcase.



I know I could get a tree somewhere here in Jerusalem, but where? And am I really going to bring it home on the train? And is this really where I am going to focus my energy this Christmas? So while processing all of this with the L-rd I felt Him make a simple suggestion...a star.

עמנואל, Emmanuel

Yes, I thought, that is perfect. It reminds us of the star that showed the wise men the way to the newborn King, where they presented their gifts of gold (for a King), frankincense (for a Priest), and myrrh (for One whose death was going to be as important as His life).

So we re-used our stars from Hanukkah and cut out some bigger ones which we then colored and glued together. We hung them by our patio door and have started putting presents underneath them. I am so thankful to the L-rd for this idea: it represents His guiding light and His very Light and now we have a great tradition of decorating the stars together. As time goes on I'm sure it will change and improve, but this year I am thankful for this new tradition that points to Yeshua and helps us celebrate His life.

ישוע, Yeshua

 

Every craft has brought a lot of joy to Cassidy and we've been able to see her creativity grow and encourage her artistic side. We're so blessed to have a little girl who loves to sit and draw and sing about Yeshua. She has as many songs for the L-rd as there are crayons in the box. We pray He will continue to fill up her spirit with His love and truth so that she will shine His light here in Israel. I hope you all have a joyful and beautiful time celebrating Yeshua, his brave parents and the grace that G-d poured out on us that special day.

First Night of Hanukkah

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah (and our first night of Hanukkah in Israel!). We are happy to celebrate the Light of the world and the faithfulness of the Jewish people and the G-d of Israel.

Cass really wanted to give Abba a gift so she painted a dreidel for him and then made him a special card, filled with all of the things she loves about him. Some of the things she loves: playing on the bed, playing cards (like Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious), his hugs and kisses. She also said she is proud of how hard he works and how happy he makes her. She could not wait to give him her present and card and insisted that he open his stuff first!

We're doing presents each night for her, nothing over the top because toys here (like everything else) cost so much. I went to the equivalent of the dollar store here and got her mostly arts and crafts items because she spends most of her free time drawing, cutting, gluing and painting. 

I labeled each present with a hanukkiah and she gets to open a different present according to how many candles are 'lit' on the package. She was more than excited to open her first present:

 I love how easy she is to please. She has such a thankful and generous heart. She makes it hard to not want to give her more because of her thankfulness, but since she is so grateful I know that I won't disappoint her. She is such an easy child to raise and love.

 I lit the shamash candle, known as the helper, and she lit the first candle. She was very nervous that the flame or the wax would burn her but she did a great job. Soon she'll be singing all the blessings in Hebrew by herself before she lights the candles.

Then we started reading the story of the Maccabees, with all the gory details of the Torah observant men and women being brutally killed and the flight of the Maccabees to the wilderness. Cassidy listened closely as she worked with her new stickers and paper. She kept asking, "What does that mean?" When Tom read about the mistreatment of the Temple or the Jewish people she said, "That's not good". She may not understand all of it but she engaged with the story and I'm excited to see her reaction as the story progresses and she hears the victory of Judah the Maccabee and his brave comrades.

Tom and Cassidy played dreidel while I wished my wonderful friend Maasen an early happy birthday via FaceTime. We could hear their laughter and squeals in the other room as the dreidel landed on gimel. Happy Hanukkah, friends. It's a beautiful thing to celebrate. Check out this post for more details on why everyone should celebrate this holiday.

Winter Visitors

One of our favorite things to do, now that it's cold (usually) and wet (sometimes), is look for snails on our walks to and from the train. They vary in size and Cassidy considers this one that is pictured to be a grandpa-sized snail. There are some that are so small you can barely distinguish them from rocks. We've seen several that met their demise as they tried to cross the sidewalk and Cassidy holds out hope for them. If we see a crushed shell in the morning she'll say, "Maybe he'll be better later". But sure enough, on our way home that afternoon the shell is still there, even more smashed and definitely not on its way to getting better. We're very careful where we walk, looking out for their slimey trails and camouflaged homes, but unfortunately not everyone walking or riding along cares as much for these little guys as sweet Cass.

And this is what Winter looks like in Jerusalem...

Goldilocks

We're searching for the right backpack for Cassidy. Why is this post-worthy? Because there is no Target/Wal-Mart/Office Max near us. It means that when we're actually in the city center we have to take advantage of the stores, even if it means while we're waiting for the train. We hustle hear, or window-shop there. Being a pregnant woman with a five-year old also complicates the search.

Last Spring we went to the fancy outdoor shopping center where there is a North Face store. They had some nice kid-sized backpacks, but wrote them off as over-priced. We ended up getting her this Hello, Kitty backpack on Ben Yehuda street. She was thrilled to have such a girly bag.

The weight of her breakfast, lunch, mayim bahkbook (water bottle) and sometimes her jacket is starting to bust the seams of the fuzzy-faced Hello, Kitty backpack.  The final straw is the fact that her homework folder won't fit in the pack without folding down the corners, not an excellent way to submit her hard work. I suppose we were taken in by the price, 60 NIS ($15), but it only lasted about 6 months. 

Wednesday, before my doctors visit, since we were in the area, we went back to the North Face store. There were no kid-sized backpacks, and when I asked the clerk about it he tried to get me to consider a hydration pack, since it's smaller. Not quite what I had in mind, but good try. We hurried through the rest of the center, looking for any kind of store that might have backpacks and ended up getting her a pair of much-needed jeans. Then we rushed off to get a cab to go to the doctor. (The whole time we're at the Mamilla mall I'm thinking, Hurry, maximize the time!)

Thursday we found ourselves again in the city center (after Cassie recorded a short video for announcements at King of Kings -- superstar!). We visited a school supply store on King George and I felt like a very elementary version of Goldilocks. The clerk pulled down one bag and when Cass put it on it engulfed her whole body. I told him, gadol (big). Then he gestured to another bag, more like the one we already have and I said, katan (small). We went back and forth, trying to find the right bag, using my minimal Hebrew and hand gestures to communicate. "Lo tov," I finally responded, telling him these were no good, finishing with "Todah", thank you (which is such a simple word but I still can't figure out where to put the emphasis). We walked away empty handed, but not before Cass helped him move carts out of the way so he could put his step ladder away.

I wish Cass would just hurry up and learn Hebrew so I can use her as my interpreter. Maybe by the time she's fluent we'll find a backpack.

Teenok

In case you haven't heard... www.remember-jerusalem.org

'Sweetish' Pepper Cookies

Swedish pepper cookies are a long-standing holiday tradition in the Blake family and since joining the family 9 years ago I've made them less of a tradition and more of  a staple, at least in our little family. I've also changed the name and the recipe, just a tad, and I think it's time to share it. One of the reasons I've been hesitant to share is that the original recipe calls for a cookie press. DeAnn and I have been through our share of difficulties with these presses, and I've already been through two of my own. I decided not to pack a third press in our suitcases, and I'm glad I didn't. If you don't have a press don't worry about it. Now you can make Tom's favorite 'Sweetish' pepper cookies, sometimes known as pfeffernusse or peppernoten. They're softer than the traditional cookie, which is how we like them.

The signature ingredient to the cookies is molasses. When I saw the Brer Rabbit Blackstrap Molasses at the local market I immediately grabbed a bottle. Maybe I should have bought two. But I only use one tablespoon at a time so it should last me a few months. Even if I make them for Cassidy's class every other week.

The original recipe says that if the dough is too dry you can add water. The first few times I made this recipe I had to add water, and the cookies were still a bit too crunchy for my taste. Throughout the years I've adjusted the recipe and reduced the flour by a fourth of a cup, which makes to dough soft but not sticky.

If you have a cookie press you can use it -- that is if the dough doesn't explode through the sides. I've found it a lot easier to just roll them into nice little balls and call it good. I don't get as many cookies out of the recipe when I roll them by hand, but it's worth it to reduce my frustration.

If you like crunchy cookies, just bake them longer. But if you're like us then bake them for the called for amount of time (depending on your oven) and enjoy them warm with some iced coffee (or tea if you're any other Blake family). If you can't eat them all at once then store them in an airtight container. And a nice tip I learned from my sister-in-law, add a piece of bread to the container and it will keep the cookies soft, while making the bread hard as a rock.

I made these to celebrate the closing of Tom's semester (though he's still writing and studying for exams). We're enjoying them a little at a time, thanks to the sacrificial piece of bread. And the Blake family.

'Sweetish' Pepper Cookies

2 sticks of butter, room temperature (227 grams)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 Tablespoon molasses, unsulphured

1 egg

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons cloves

Preheat oven to 350' (180').

Cream butter, sugar, molasses and egg in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes for a crunchy edge and soft middle. Bake longer for a completely crunchy cookie.

Remove the cookies to a cooling rack for a few minutes. These are great warm out of the oven, or the next day, but they will dry up quickly if you don't store with some bread.